Dear Taylor Swift,

You seem like a ridiculously nice person. Not even scarily nice like the Christian school girls I meet at choral festivals who come off so sickeningly pleasant that you get the feeling that they're secretly out to get you. You, Taylor Swift, seem actually, genuinely nice. This is why I'm going to give you some friendly advice.

Ever since your first album came out you've been virtually inescapable; I have friends and neighbors who love you and even my sister loves you (although she's old enough to drink). Let's face it, your demographic is mostly middle school girls (supported by their mothers, of course, who approve of your innocent, role model-worthy image).

In all the articles I've read criticizing and supporting you (some very good, some horrendously bad), good points are brought up on both sides, but I have yet to see one that brings up why I dislike your music and your brand. Your music is, let's face it, very simplistic and obviously aimed at teenage girls, with whom you connect on a squealing over boys and white horse fairytale level. However, this is not where I have an issue with your music, because you're doing something similar to what two great bands did in their early years: the Beatles and the Beach Boys. They both wrote relatively simplistic songs with lyrics that connected with their audiences in a similar (though less gender-specific) way. Here, my dear friend, is where you part ways with these two great bands: They grew. Once they had a strong hold on their audience, they were able to bring more sophistication and experimentation into their music without fear of losing all their listeners; and because they were already in the mainstream, they could bring that sophistication and experimentation with them into the popular consciousness.

What excites me, Ms. Swift, is what you can do with this same concept. The truth is, although many moms of this great country take solace in the wholesome yet wholly non-stimulating brand of culture you provide, you aren't doing the young girls that make up the vast majority of your fan base any favors. By having their attention, you hold the amazing power to change practically an entire generation of young women. Subsequently, by raising the level on which you connect with them, you can challenge your audience to engage emotionally and intellectually with a higher caliber of art. If you continue to underestimate the intelligence of your audience, they and those who market to them will in turn continue to believe that they are capable of less. In short, if you don't tell this generation of women that they are smart enough to comprehend and enjoy more complex music, more poetic lyrics, and more sophisticated emotional themes, then who will? Because that's what being a role model is really about, showing those who admire you that they have the capacity to do and be more. The Beatles and the Beach Boys helped change the musical landscape with their experimentation, but you can do something better: you can help change the intellectual standards that we have for young women and more importantly, the standards they have for themselves.

Sincerely,
Heather G.